Out of the Darkness
by Slayergirl
Summary: A case gets personal for Harry, Leo and Nikki.
1. Trauma

_She was lying there so pale and still, beautiful under the bruising, gold hair spread over the pillow. She looked so young, so fragile, the hand in his so cold._

"_We have to turn it off, Harry," said Leo gently. "We have to let her go."_

"_No!"_

"_Harry, you heard what the doctor said. There's nothing they can do for her. It's not Nikki in there any more, she's already gone from us. Is this what she'd have wanted? Being kept alive by a machine?"_

"_I can't, Leo," he choked. "I can't let her go. So many things I wanted to say to her, I can't… I can't just let her go…"_

"_It's not Nikki in there any more," he repeated softly. "Let her go, Harry. Let her go." _

_He sobbed, cradling the body in his arms one last time. "I love you," he whispered. "I never told you, and now you'll never know. I always loved you, I always will… just because we have to do this doesn't mean I love you any less…" He looked up beseechingly at Leo. "At least let me hold her while they… while they…"_

_Leo sent a questioning look to the doctor, who nodded._

_He broke down as the machine flat-lined, her name ripped, anguished, from his lips._

Harry jerked up off the couch where he'd fallen asleep with a dry sob, calming almost immediately. _Nightmare,_ he reminded himself. _Her injuries weren't anywhere near as bad as they thought at first, she'll come out of the coma. All we have to do is wait. She'll be fine. She will._

He picked up the phone to see whose phone-call it was that had woken him, and his blood ran cold. Charley, who'd taken that shift to sit by Nikki in the hospital, was calling.


	2. Remembering

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews of the first chapter - sorry if your nerves are a bit frayed by the opening chapter, I was after something really hard-hitting to open with. I know it plays on poor Harry's fears, but it can't be helped - all in a good cause!**

**As usual, I own nothing and nobody - apart from the characters I've created for later (this is actually a finished fic, but I'm going to upload the chapters a bit at a time because I'm evil).**

**Please R&R! :)**

_***_

_He picked up the phone to see whose phone-call it was that had woken him, and his blood ran cold. Charley, who'd taken that shift to sit by Nikki in the hospital, was calling._

Immediately alert, Harry answered the phone. "Charley? What is it? Is she worse? Is she…"

"Calm down! There's a change; she's out of the coma. But…"

"What is it?" he asked tensely.

"She doesn't remember anything. And I mean anything." There was a short pause. "She didn't recognise me," she said quietly.

Harry digested what she'd said and took a deep breath. "I'm on my way, I'll be there in ten minutes. Have you contacted Leo?"

"I've tried, but he didn't answer. I left a message for him."

"Okay. Okay, good." He grabbed his car-keys and jacket from the hall. "Just… I'll be there soon."

_What if she doesn't recognise you?_ he thought, as he drove to the hospital. He pushed the thought away. She'd still be Nikki, his Nikki; she'd be in there somewhere. They just had to find her again.

He practically ran to the ward, nearly colliding with Charley as she stepped out into the corridor. "How is she?" he asked, noting the relief on Charley's face.

"Same. Distressed, doesn't remember anything."

He gave her an awkward pat on the arm. "Thanks for calling. Look, why don't you go home and get some rest?"

"I'm on shift here for another hour."

"Doesn't matter. I'm here now. Go home, Charley – oh, and could you try Leo again?"

She nodded. "Sure."

Harry took a deep breath, wondering if he dared go in; but he knew he had to, even though she probably wouldn't recognise him.

She was sobbing into her hands, and he approached cautiously. "Hey."

There was a gasp, and she looked up, frightened; and his heart almost stopped. But almost immediately, relief took over her face and she reached out to him. "Harry!"

He gave her a hug, gingerly, still wary of the bruising. "How are you feeling?"

"Terrible," she confessed. "I don't remember anything. Nothing. I can't… I can't remember… I can't remember my own _name_… I mean, I know it's Nikki, but Nikki _what?_"

He swallowed, and took her hand gently in his. "Your name's Nikki Alexander. And you do remember something, you remembered me… you recognised me, you knew my name. So the memories are there, Nikki, we just need to help you get them back." She nodded, tears gradually slowing as she grew calmer. "Okay. Let's start with what you remember about me."

She frowned. "You… we work together… don't we?" He nodded. ""I can't remember what we do, though," she said, agitated again.

"It's okay, that'll come back," he soothed. "Don't worry about work just yet."

She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "You're… my best friend?" she asked timidly, and he smiled with relief.

"Yes, I am. See? You remember the important things."

Her next statement nearly caused him to stop breathing. "You…" she shook her head. "I remember, you… did you kiss me, once?"

He nodded. "Yes. A long time ago."

"Oh." She gave a strained smile. "It was nice."

He nearly took issue with 'nice', but let it pass; he was grateful she even remembered it. "Glad to hear it."

"I called you," she said distantly. "I think? Did I? To tell you something, something important. Something about… something we were working on, something…"

"Shhh," he said, as she got herself worked up trying to remember. "It'll come back, Nikki, don't worry, and you can tell me then. And the police."

"Police?"

"You were attacked. Do you remember anything about that?"

She shook her head. "Just… pain, darkness. No, wait… there's something…" she screwed her face up. "No, I can't… it's gone," she said in defeat.

"It'll come back." A commotion out in the corridor alerted him to the fact that Leo had just arrived.

"Nikki!" He came over to her bed. "How are you?"

She held out her hand to him. "I'm okay, Harry's been looking after me," she smiled. "Don't worry. It'll be okay, dad."


	3. Rosemary for Remembrance

**A/N: Thank you all for your comments - I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. I'll try to upload fairly frequently, as it's all written and ready to go, so you shouldn't have to wait too long to find out what happened, how much of her memory Nikki regains, and generally how it all pans out. Of course, this being a story about our favourite pathologists, nothing is ever simple... and sadly, I don't own them.**

***

"_Don't worry. It'll be okay, dad."_

Leo took a shuddering breath in, as Nikki looked doubtfully from him to Harry and back again. "You're… not my father?"

Harry squeezed her hand. "Well, near enough. Leo's not really your father, but I sometimes think he might as well be."

"This is no time for jokes, Harry," he muttered.

"Who said I was joking?" retorted Harry.

"Who… I know you, I know I know you…" she said tearfully. "Who are you?"

Leo took her other hand. "I'm Leo," he said quietly.

"Leo…" she frowned. "You and Harry… I spend a lot of time with you, don't I?"

He nodded. "You do. We work together."

Realisation cleared her face for a moment. "You're my boss!" She looked troubled again. "But I still don't know what we actually _do_."

"You're a forensic pathologist, working for the Home Office," he informed her.

"Am I?" she said, looking astonished, then giggled. "That sounds interesting."

"It's very interesting," Harry assured her.

Just then one of the nurses came in. "Dr. Melluish said she'd come round from the coma," she smiled. "How are you, ducks? Do you want a drink of water?"

Nikki smiled. "Thanks, I would."

"I'll be right back." She was only gone for a moment. "There you are. Dr. Melluish is going to come and see you in a little while, my lovely."

"Who's Dr. Melluish?" asked Nikki after she'd gone.

"She's a clinical neuropsychologist," said Leo, "the leading clinical neuropsychologist in the country, and an old friend of mine, we were at university together. She's going to work with you to help you get your memories back."

"I'm sure she's lovely if she's a friend of yours, Leo," said Nikki with a strained smile.

"She does her best," smiled a motherly-looking woman, coming to the foot of the bed. "Nikki, I'm Dr. Melluish, but you can call me Rosemary, if you'd prefer."

"That's a nice name," said Nikki, uncertainly.

"Thank you," replied Rosemary. "Now, it's getting towards the end of my shift, but I wanted to see you before I went, to see how you were, and we'll talk properly tomorrow. Do you remember anything at all?"

"I remembered Harry," she said hesitantly. "And Leo, though I thought he was my father at first."

"Wish fulfilment," murmured Leo to Rosemary, softly, so that Nikki wouldn't hear. "Her own father's a waste of space, she's looking for a surrogate."

Rosemary gave a single nod to show that she'd understood. "Well, the fact that you remember these two reprobates shows that you haven't lost your memories completely, and I'm sure we'll winkle a few more out of that brain of yours, so don't you worry. Now, is there anyone you'd like us to call, anyone you'd like to have with you when we have our session tomorrow?"

"Harry," she said immediately, her hold on his hand tightening.

Rosemary's face softened. "Of course you'd want your best friend there. Harry?"

He looked at Leo, who nodded. "I'll be there, just tell me when."

She smiled kindly at him, resting her hand on his shoulder. "My shift starts at nine. Now, you clearly haven't eaten or slept or shaved in days. Leo, please – take him away and make sure he gets some rest and a decent meal!"

Leo gave her a grateful smile, and mouthed a 'thank you' to her, before turning to Harry. "Come on, you heard what the doctor ordered."

He looked regretfully at Nikki, who squeezed his hand and gave a watery smile. "Go on. I'm not going anywhere."

He squeezed her hand back, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "See you tomorrow, Niks."

Her eyes widened, and she clung to him.


	4. The Greenfield Connection

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews - they rock my world almost as much as Harry does ;p**

_Her eyes widened, and she clung to him._

"What did you call me?" she whispered.

"Niks," he said uncomfortably. "I often call you that."

"The person who hit me," she said suddenly. "They called me that. I remember now."

Rosemary turned back carefully, having been about to go. "Can you remember if it was a man or a woman?" she asked gently.

"A- a woman," said Nikki. "At least, I think so. The voice was too high-pitched for a man."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief; he'd been horribly afraid, for a moment, that maybe it had been her father. But no; surely he wouldn't do that to her? He was a waste of space, it was true, but for all his many faults, he _did_ love his daughter.

"Okay," said Rosemary. "Did you see the person? Can you remember what else she said, assuming that it was a woman?"

"I didn't see her. She said… she said…" she screwed up her face in an effort to remember. "She said, 'bye Niks, was nice knowing ya.' Or something like that."

Harry frowned. "You just said that with a South African twang."

"I did? I wonder why?"

"You lived in South Africa for most of your childhood, Nikki," said Leo. "Could it be someone you knew there?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Who'd want to kill someone they'd known as a child all of a sudden? It has to be to do with the Greenfield case. Nikki called me to tell me she'd found something, but couldn't get past that before the phone went dead."

"Maybe," said Leo.

"Groenveld? Did you say Groenveld?" asked Nikki.

"Greenfield," corrected Harry gently.

"Same name," said Rosemary softly. "Groenveld is linguistically the same name." At Harry's curious look, she shrugged. "My mother taught linguistics, I grew up on this stuff. Nikki," she said calmly, "what does the name Groenveld mean to you?"

"I'm not sure," she sighed. "I know it's important, though."

Rosemary nodded. "Okay. If you remember anything else, there's a pad of paper and a pen on the table there. Or you can call me, or call Leo or Harry. Okay? Maybe you knew someone called Groenveld when you were a child. But you're tired, and you should probably rest now." She gave Leo and Harry a warning look, and they followed her out. "Come into my office," she said, a worried look on her face.


	5. Council of War

**A/N: Since you asked so nicely, here's the latest update. There are 27 in all, so there's a fair way to go...**

"_Come into my office," she said, a worried look on her face._

"What is it?" asked Harry tensely.

Rosemary shook her head. "I don't know. I'm not sure of anything. Except that I have a patient who stopped coming to see me a few weeks ago, who's possibly no longer on medication. Not violent, in my opinion, but without medication, you can't be sure."

"Groenveld?" said Harry.

She took a deep breath, and nodded. "A man, though, not a woman. But he had a high-pitched voice. I remember him – it's an unusual name, and with the voice…" she trailed off. "I'm not sure what to do. She hasn't said for definite that it was him, and he'd hardly introduce himself by name if he was about to attack her…"

"Maybe he didn't," said Leo suddenly. "Maybe she mis-heard Greenfield as Groenveld because that was the name she recognised more, having grown up in South Africa. It might not be related at all."

"Or," said Harry, "Greenfield – the Greenfield who was murdered – could actually have been Groenveld. The face was bashed in, hands removed… all we had was that scrap of paper hidden in his jacket pocket, with Greenfield written on it."

"He might not even _be_ Greenfield," said Leo wearily. "He might have been trying to contact someone called Greenfield."

Rosemary bit her lip. "Should we tell the police?"

Leo pondered. "Do we really have anything to tell them, beyond the fact that someone with a high-pitched South African voice, who clearly knew Nikki, attacked her? And that she confused a couple of similar-sounding names?"

Harry stood up with a grim look on his face. "I think it's worth telling them the first part at least." He looked worriedly at the other two. "Let's tell them after tomorrow's session. She might remember more."

Leo and Rosemary nodded. "I hope she does," said Rosemary softly.

Leo put his hand on her shoulder. "If anyone can help her, you and Harry can."


	6. TLC

**A/N: Just a little interlude from the slight angstyness of Nikki's memory loss and the suspense of the case. I figured poor Harry's nerves must be shot to pieces by now, and that the poor guy needed a little time out and TLC :)**

_Leo put his hand on her shoulder. "If anyone can help her, you and Harry can."_

Truth be told, Harry was grateful to Leo for taking him back to his place, where Janet had given him a warm, sympathetic look and a bowlful of homemade stew and dumplings. She'd also, very quietly and authoritatively, made it clear that he was expected to use their spare room for the night, and that Leo would drop him back to the hospital on his way to work in the morning.

Sitting on their sofa, he allowed himself to relax for the first time since the attack on Nikki, exhaustion washing over him.

"Here." He glanced up at Janet's voice, seeing her holding out a brandy goblet to him. "You look as though you need it."

He gave a tired smile. "Thanks."

She sat in the chair opposite him. "At least she's come out of the coma," she said gently. "I know there's a long way to go, but the worst's over now." He nodded. "Leo said she recognised you."

He nodded again. "Yes. Yes, she did, straight away."

She smiled. "Well, that's a good sign, surely."

"Yes," he agreed. "I just…"

"You worry about her," she said simply. "We all do, Harry."

He gave a sniff, trying hard not to break down again. He hadn't realised what a toll this had taken on him, and he knew he had to go on being strong, for Nikki's sake. He had to be there for her. "I…"

"You need to drink that up and go to bed," she said firmly. "You're exhausted, Harry. There's a spare toothbrush on the washbasin, towels at the end of your bed. Leo uses disposable razors, so just take one from the packet tomorrow morning, okay?"

He gave a wan smile, drinking the rest of his brandy. "Thanks, Janet."

She got up and took the glass from him. "Go and rest," she said quietly. "Nikki will need you to be on top form tomorrow."


	7. Progress

**A/N: Beware of red herrings! Nothing is ever as straight-forward as it seems - such is life.**

**Thank you all for your reviews :)**

"_Go and rest," she said quietly. "Nikki will need you to be on top form tomorrow."_

Harry's heart gave a little lurch as Nikki's face lit up when she saw him. "Hello, beautiful."

She rolled her eyes. "You are such a flirt, Harry Cunningham," she said with a smile. "I must look a mess."

"You're alive, though," he said. "And in this case at least, life is beauty, where I'm concerned."

She reached out to take his hand, understanding what he meant. "I'm glad you're here."

"Mm. You remembered my surname," he pointed out. "Without being told."

She looked vaguely surprised. "So I did… I didn't even think about it…"

"Something triggered it, then," smiled Rosemary, joining them. "How are you feeling this morning, Nikki?"

"Much better, thank you."

"You look better, too," approved Rosemary, glancing at Harry.

"Leo took me home to Janet's tender mercies," he grinned. "I spent yesterday evening being well and truly mothered."

"Hmm. You looked as though you needed it," she said, with a wry smile. "Now then… what did Harry say that triggered you remembering his surname?"

Nikki rolled her eyes. "I was telling him off for flirting with me."

"Happens a lot, does it?" she asked, a twinkle in her eye. She'd rarely seen a best friend as devoted as Harry, and strongly suspected there was more to it than met the eye.

"Oh, he's always flirting with me," she laughed.

"You remember that, then," encouraged Rosemary. "And you always tell him off for it?"

"Not always."

"Most of the time," interjected Harry ruefully. "Usually with some sort of line like that."

Rosemary smiled, noting various things down. "Okay. So, what else do you remember about Harry? Do you remember how you met, for example?"

She frowned. "I… can't… quite…" she shook her head. "Something about a desk."

Rosemary sent a questioning glance to Harry. "She left her bones all over my desk. Well, not _her_ bones, obviously, I meant the ones she was working on," he added hastily.

"Oh… yes, I remember! I gate-crashed the mortuary," she said with a sudden laugh. "And… there was a hockey stick."

"There was," Harry confirmed to Rosemary.

"Tell me about the hockey stick," she said. "That sounds unlikely for a pathologist. Why did you need a hockey stick?"

She thought. "I don't know. I don't remember that bit."

"Can you remember what it looked like? Or what you were doing with it?"

"I was trying to hit a target with it. I don't remember why. I can't remember what it looked like."

She nodded. "Okay." She was about to continue, when Nikki looked suddenly thoughtful.

"Wait a minute. I've seen a hockey stick recently. Where, though? Where would I have seen a hockey stick?"

"Do you play hockey, maybe?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. Do I?" she asked Harry.

He shook his head. "You said you used to be good at it at school, but in the six years I've known you, I've only seen you with a hockey stick that once."

"But… I _have_ seen one recently," she said bewildered.

Rosemary nodded. "Can you describe it to me? Or anything else about it?"

"I think it had blue webbing round the handle," she said. "It seemed out of place."

"Okay. Can you see the place it was in?"

Nikki sighed. "It was dark. It seemed familiar, though."

"The place was familiar?"

"Yes… no… the hockey stick…" she frowned. "They were both familiar."

Harry sat upright, suddenly alert. "I don't recall having seen the hockey stick for a while," he said. "Was someone holding it?"

She shook her head, then smiled. "No, I remember. I found it in one of the cupboards in the lab. Leo must have put it there."

He slumped back in his chair; he'd hoped that might have solved the mystery of what had inflicted so much damage to Nikki's head – except for the fact that it would have made it basically an inside job, someone they worked with, and he _really_ couldn't see that happening – especially when she'd been attacked on her own front doorstep.

Rosemary gave him an understanding smile. "Well, at least Harry knows where to find his hockey stick now," she said cheerfully.

"Small comfort," he muttered to himself. He wanted to find whoever had done this to Nikki, and, for preference, string him or her up by the ankles for the crows.

Rosemary gave him an almost imperceptible shake of the head. "Now, then. We were talking about Groenveld last night. Do you remember anything more? Someone from your childhood, maybe? A friend of your mother's or father's?"

Nikki's face suddenly seemed hollow. "My mother…" she whispered. "My mother's dead…"

Harry closed his eyes, swallowing with pain. Reaching out, he took her hand. He didn't trust himself to say anything.

Rosemary gave her a sympathetic look. "Do you remember what happened, Nikki? Would you like to talk about it?"

"She was ill," she said, a far-away look on her face. "She had cancer. She lost all her hair, her beautiful hair…" she blinked away a few tears. "She told me I had to be a brave girl, and that she loved me, and she'd always be watching over me." She gave a tired smile. "She knew she was dying. She'd arranged for me to go and live with my dad in England…"

"That's something you remember clearly," commended Rosemary. "What was she like, your mother?"

"Beautiful," she said immediately. "She looked like an angel."

"Like you, then," smiled Rosemary. "Do you take after her?"

"I hope so."

Harry squeezed her hand. "What was her name?"

Nikki thought for a moment. "Mia," she said finally. "Mia Groenveld."


	8. Making Sense

**A/N: Thank you all for continuing to read and review - I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. Some of the chapters are quite short, as the story moves on a bit faster from now on - though there's still a long way to go... :)**

**Enjoy!**

_Harry squeezed her hand. "What was her name?"_

_Nikki thought for a moment. "Mia," she said finally. "Mia Groenveld."_

There was silence for a moment. Rosemary looked sharply at Harry, as if warning him not to say anything. "Mia Groenveld… so Groenveld was her maiden name?"

"Yes, that's right."

She nodded. "Okay. What about the rest of the family? Did she have brothers or sisters?"

"I think she had a brother," she said thoughtfully. "I don't think they got on. She never spoke about him."

Rosemary scribbled something down on her notepad. "Okay, so now we know why you reacted to the name Groenveld," she said calmly. "Clearly it reminded you of your mother. You really are doing very well, Nikki."

Nikki gave her a grateful smile.

"What about your father?"

Harry bit his tongue, tempted almost beyond measure to say what he thought of Nikki's good-for-nothing father.

A shadow of a frown passed over Nikki's face. "I don't think we get on," she said.

"Can you remember why?"

"Not really, sorry."

"What feelings do you get, talking about him?"

"Disappointment, mainly."

"Because you don't get on? Or in him, or yourself?"

"In him, I think," she said thoughtfully. "He… I don't think he was there a lot of the time."

Rosemary glanced to Harry for confirmation, scribbling away as he nodded. "Okay, that's great. Now, we've been talking for a long time. You have a bit of a rest, while I get Harry a coffee, and we'll talk some more in a bit."

Nikki nodded, and Harry followed Rosemary to her office. She offered him a coffee from her coffee machine. "Thanks," he said gratefully, sitting down. "How's she doing? Really?"

Rosemary gave him a quick smile. "Amazingly well, actually, considering that yesterday she could only remember your name, and a tiny bit about you. But so many things link into others, and that triggers the memories in her brain to be recalled. It's just a question of going on asking questions until you stumble across something that will unlock another memory. Once they start coming back, in dribs and drabs, it often happens that everything will suddenly come back at once."

He nodded. "But she's going to be okay?"

"I think so. I can't make any guarantees, obviously, but so far, things are looking good."

"And Groenveld?"

"It could just be a coincidence," she warned him. "Don't get carried away. It's not that uncommon a name in South Africa, even though there probably aren't so many in the UK, and we don't know if Groenveld who went missing is any relative of Nikki's, or if either are anything at all to do with the case you're working on. You can't jump to conclusions on this just because it all seems to fit together nicely."

He sighed. "I know. It's just that… something seemed to slot into place, like it was all beginning to make sense. It's just that there are still pieces of the puzzle missing."


	9. Pieces of the Puzzle

**A/N: Sorry - some of the chapters are short - but they're significant! Believe me, more and more clues are coming out of the woodwork - and there's a long way to go yet...**

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing - the more nice reviews I get, the faster I'll upload more chapters ;)**

_He sighed. "I know. It's just that… something seemed to slot into place, like it was all beginning to make sense. It's just that there are still pieces of the puzzle missing."_

Harry stared at the facial reconstruction he'd just finished of the body in the Greenfield case. Nikki had done one, originally, but it was locked on her computer, so he couldn't look at it. He'd done his own, on his return to work from the hospital, and now sat looking at it in disbelief.

He was male, to be sure, and much older, but he looked eerily like his best friend. "Leo?"

"Mm?"

"Take a look at this."

Leo peered over his shoulder. "But that's… that looks just like Nikki!"

"Mm-hmm. I re-did the facial reconstruction for Greenfield. How much do you bet me this guy's real name is Groenveld?"

Leo pulled a face. "If he is, that's suspect number one for Nikki's attack gone."

"I know," he said tiredly.

Leo rested his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Let the police have that photo-fit. Who knows, the person who did this to Nikki might have been trying to stop that photo-fit getting out. Or she may have some other clue she was going to tell you about when she phoned."

"Will do." He sighed; if only Nikki had called him from inside, rather than on her mobile on the way over – her assailant might not even have known Nikki had tumbled to the truth, whatever that was.

There was a niggling feeling, though, that he couldn't ignore – that somehow, this murder of the man they presumed was Greenfield or Groenveld was personal. And if it was personal, then Nikki possibly not only knew her attacker, but was maybe also related to them.


	10. Personal

**A/N: I'm being nice and adding another chapter today, as it's the weekend! :)**

_And if it was personal, then Nikki possibly not only knew her attacker, but was maybe also related to them._

Harry rinsed the coffee cup that Nikki had clearly discarded in her haste to contact him, the night she was attacked, and went through to her living room. He scanned the bookshelves, eventually finding what he was looking for, and pulled out the photo albums. He hoped Rosemary was right – that there would be photos in there that would act as visual triggers, helping more memories to return. He flipped through the latest one, smiling as he saw photos of Nikki, Leo and Janet, that he remembered taking at a picnic they'd gone on in the summer; a picture of Leo and Janet, sprawled on the picnic blanket, relaxing in the sun; and a photo of him with Nikki, looking carefree and happy. It brought a lump to his throat, thinking again how close they'd come to losing her. He snapped the album shut, and thrust it into the bag of bits and pieces Rosemary had suggested he might bring.

He hadn't liked the idea of going through Nikki's stuff, and was relieved that Janet had quietly headed to Nikki's bedroom to get clothes. He could hear her systematically going through wardrobes and drawers, and she'd offered to get toiletries and so on from the bathroom, leaving him to deal with less personal things – the photo albums, locating her iPod, a few books to keep her amused. He considered taking her laptop, but thought that Leo and Rosemary would probably lynch him for it.

"You done?" asked Janet, dropping a small overnight bag by the door.

Harry put a couple of paperbacks in the bag on the sofa. "Just need to find her iPod charger. You didn't see it in her room, did you?"

Janet shook her head. "No, and I've been through every drawer. It's not in the kitchen?"

"No. Must be in here somewhere."

Janet cast a look around. "You try the desk, I'll look in the dresser," she suggested.

Silence reigned for a few minutes as they searched, until, finally, Harry found what he was looking for. He dragged it out from the back of the desk drawer, discarding the papers that came with it. One, however, caught his eye. Neatly written, in Nikki's handwriting, were the words 'Greenfield=Groenveld? Ask dad about Matthias'.

Slowly, he flicked open his phone, and called Leo.

***

"Do we go to the police yet?" asked Harry impatiently.

"They've already spoken to Nikki; she's told them everything she's told us," said Rosemary. "I've filled them in on her condition, so they know she may remember more in time."

"What about the photo-fit?" asked Leo suddenly. "Harry, do you have a print-out with you?"

He nodded. "I hoped Nikki might recognise the man, so I brought it with me to show her when I go in to see her." He pulled it out of the bag. "There you are."

Rosemary studied it intently, frowning. "I can't be sure," she said. "He looks familiar, but… the Groenveld I know has a scar, a very prominent scar, down the left side of his face." She pulled a face. "It could be him, but I wouldn't like to give a positive ID."

"Do you think the face being caved in could have been to hide the scar?" Harry asked Leo.

"Could be. Could well be. Harry, has anyone notified Mr. Alexander of Nikki's accident?"

He shook his head. "She named us as next of kin."

"Maybe you should go and have a chat with him. Hm?" Harry nodded, accepting Leo's suggestion. "Oh, and Rosemary – what was the first name of the Groenveld you were treating?"

"Let me just check his records," she said, going to her computer. She tapped away quietly, and frowned. "That's odd…"

"What is?"

She turned the computer screen so that they could see it, her face pale. "File not found."


	11. Family Affairs

**A/N: hope you're still enjoying :)**

_She turned the computer screen so that they could see it, her face pale. "File not found."_

Leo and Harry had simultaneous feelings of misgiving. Suddenly, this had turned a whole lot nastier. "Who has access to the database?" asked Leo tersely.

"All the doctors and consultants," she replied. "And the admins, of course. Literally hundreds of people. And that's not even counting the NHS file-sharing we're piloting here. And though our security's pretty good, who's to say that someone couldn't have hacked in?" She groaned, dropping her head into her hands.

Harry thought quickly. "Paper files, though – do you still have paper files?" he asked urgently.

She nodded. "Probably not up-to-date, though – we tend to rely on the electronic ones."

"There should be back-up copies of the database somewhere," he muttered.

"I'll let IT know," she said hurriedly, about to send an email.

Leo stopped her. "If there's been a security breach, email might not be safe," he warned.

She looked at him, horrified at the implications, and reached out a shaking hand for her phone. Once she'd spoken to them, she turned to her filing cabinets, and started looking for the file. "Here," she said with relief. "Matthias Groenveld."

Leo nodded; it was the name they were expecting.

The phone rang again. "Dr. Melluish." Her face fell. "Thank you for letting me know." She sighed, putting the phone down. "They're going to try to find a copy of the database with the electronic record on," she said. "But they've traced the security breach to activity the night of Nikki's attack."

"External?"

She nodded. "It doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't somebody here, working on paperwork from home," she said. "Though it was an unrecognised IP address. But it widens the search considerably. They're letting the police know."

"So what do we do now?" asked Harry.

Leo got up. "I'm going back to the office. Harry, see Nikki as you intended, then go round and let her father know what's happened." A look passed between them, one that Harry understood – ask about Matthias Groenveld. He nodded, and Leo left them to go back to work.

Harry took a deep breath, and followed Rosemary to Nikki's bedside. "Hello, Nikki," she smiled. "Harry's brought some things for you to make you a bit more comfortable."

Nikki gave him a radiant smile. "Thanks, Harry."

"Thank Janet for the clothes," he joked. "She went rifling through your room for them. I can face dead bodies, but not going through your underwear drawer."

Nikki giggled. "Coward. What did you bring?"

"Couple of books, iPod and charger, and your photo albums."

"Oh, great!" she smiled. "I was getting bored with _Hello_ and _Country Life_."

"Perhaps you and Harry would like to go through the photos?" suggested Rosemary. "They might help you remember something."

He opened up the first one, photos of her childhood in South Africa. "You were cute," he informed her. "What happened?"

She stuck her tongue out at him, and grinned.

"Who's that?" he asked, pointing to a woman in a family grouping. "Your mum?"

"Mm."

"You look a lot like her."

"Yes, I take after that side of the family. I think. Someone said that to me once…"

"Who was that, Nikki?" asked Rosemary gently. "Try to remember."

"Not sure. Uncle Matt, maybe…"

"Uncle Matt? Was he the one your mum didn't get on with?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, that's right. They had a quarrel. They used to be very close."

"Can you remember what it was about?"

She shook her head. "I don't think I ever knew, it was when I was young."

Rosemary nodded. "Was he older or younger than your mum?"

Nikki looked at her blankly for a moment, then said quietly. "He was her twin, I think."

"Would your father know?" asked Harry.

She shrugged. "Probably."

Rosemary nodded to herself. "Okay, why don't we look at some later photos? Harry, what's in that last one?"

He flicked it open to the back page, the most recent photos of the picnic. "Who's that?" asked Nikki, pointing at the picture of Leo and Janet.

"That's Janet, Leo's wife."

"Oh!" She blushed. "When you mentioned her earlier, I thought… I thought maybe she was your girlfriend, or something."

Harry's stomach flip-flopped as he saw the look on her face. "No. No, I don't have a girlfriend."

There was a stilted silence for a moment, as Nikki looked down at the bedclothes suddenly, trying to hide a smile. "Okay," said Rosemary, breaking the silence a little unwillingly. "Nikki, do you remember going on this picnic?"

"No, not really."

"Okay, one last photo." She drew the printout of Harry's facial reconstruction out of her file. "Do you recognise this person?"

She frowned. "I think so…"

"Who do you think it is?" asked Harry gently.

"Well, it looks like Uncle Matt, before he had his accident. He told everyone it was an attack, but actually he rode his bike into a tree, got a scar all the way down his face. Nearly took his eye out." He looked at their quiet faces. "What? What is it?"

"You think this is Matthias Groenveld?" asked Rosemary

"Well, it looks a lot like him," she said doubtfully. "I can't be a hundred percent sure."

Harry took a deep breath. "Nikki… the night you were attacked, when you called me. Was it to tell me something about your uncle?"

She sighed. "I don't know. I don't think so… no, wait! I remember, something… something…" she shook her head. "Something about his daughter?"


	12. Bearer of Bad News

**A/N: Sorry, another couple of shortish ones coming up - but I'll try to keep update times down to the minimum ;) **

**Thank you all for your lovely reviews - they make the world go round!**

_Harry took a deep breath. "Nikki… the night you were attacked, when you called me. Was it to tell me something about your uncle?"_

_She sighed. "I don't know. I don't think so… no, wait! I remember, something… something…" she shook her head. "Something about his daughter?"_

"Dr. Cunningham, isn't it?" asked Viktor Alexander, opening the front door of his flat. "Come to ask me for Nikki's hand in marriage?"

Harry gritted his teeth. "Could we talk inside?"

He followed Viktor into the tiny, scruffy living room. "What is it, then?"

"Nikki's had an accident. Don't worry," he said, at Viktor's look of alarm, "she's okay now. She was in a coma for a while, but she's come round, and her loss of memory should be temporary."

He sat down shakily. "My God… what happened?" he whispered.

"We're not sure, exactly. Nikki was on the phone to me, trying to tell me something, when the line went dead. I drove straight over, to find her unconscious outside her house, her mobile still in her hand. She'd been hit on the head with a heavy instrument."

"They didn't take her mobile?"

"No, and there was no sign that anything was missing from her bag, either."

"Who would _do_ this to her?" he exclaimed angrily. "Don't give me that look; I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but she's my daughter, for Christ's sake, my little girl! My beautiful baby…" he brushed away a tear angrily. "Find them. Whoever did this to her, find them," he said fiercely. "Anything I can do, you let me know, do you hear me?"

"Yes, Mr. Alexander, of course," he said soothingly. He pretended to hesitate. "Actually, there is something you could do."

"Anything. Name it."

"Nikki mentioned a name, something to do with a case we were working on, I wondered if it meant anything to you – Matthias Groenveld?"

"Matt? Yes, she asked me about him a couple of weeks back," he said thoughtfully. "Didn't say why she wanted to know, though."

Harry handed him the photo-fit. "Is this him?"

"Yes, that's him. Well, he has a scar on his face, but that's him to a tee, otherwise. Matt's my best friend – Nikki's uncle. He introduced me to Mia, Nikki's mother. They were twins, as alike as two peas in a pod,almost." He looked at him. "You don't think Matt did this, do you? I mean… I know there was talk of corruption, fraud, and so on, back in South Africa – he and Mia had a huge bust-up over that, not sure they ever spoke again - and he had a terrible gambling addiction that he was being treated for a while back, but he's not a violent man. Nikki's a lot like him."

Harry bit his lip. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Alexander – to be the bearer of bad news."

"What – what do you mean?"

He took a deep breath. "If you're sure that this man is Matthias Groenveld, then I'm afraid your best friend was murdered."


	13. Clue to Identity

_He took a deep breath. "If you're sure that this man is Matthias Groenveld, then I'm afraid your best friend was murdered."_

"Murdered?" Viktor drew a hand over an ashen face. "Oh, God. Is that why Niks wouldn't tell me why she was asking about him?"

"I can't be sure," said Harry gently. "I know she did a photo-fit of him, but I had to do my own, as I couldn't access hers. My guess is that she thought it might be him, but wasn't sure. Does… did Mr. Groenveld have any family?"

He shook his head. "Not that I know of."

"No children?"

Viktor sighed. "Like I said, none that I know of. He had a string of girlfriends – who knows, there may have been a child, but if there was, he never told me. He may have had a child and never even known. But I can't help you any more than that – I wish I could." He looked up at Harry. "Do you think there's a link, then?"

"I think it's possible," said Harry. "It's something that the police are investigating. Would you be happy to talk to them, and formally identify the body?"

Viktor swallowed, but nodded. "Yes. Yes, anything to help catch who did this," he said. "God… my best friend and my daughter…" he looked beseechingly at Harry. "Can I visit her?"

Harry hesitated. "I'll ask."

He nodded; he'd known it would be unlikely that Nikki would want to see him. "Thank you."

"If you come over tomorrow, to identify the body…?"

He nodded. "I'll be there."

Harry drove back to the Lyell Centre. "He's coming in tomorrow to do a formal ID on the body," said Harry wearily to Leo. "He confirmed that the photo-fit is of Matthias Groenveld."

"Nikki's uncle?"

"Yes."

"Next of kin? Family?"

Harry shook his head. "Didn't know of anyone. Said there had been a string of girlfriends, could have been a child, but didn't know anything about one."

Leo sighed. "No, because that would have been too easy, wouldn't it?" He stared out of the window. "What are we missing?"

"Greenfield," said Harry suddenly. "The name on that slip of paper we found. We thought it was his name, but suppose it was a piece of a large piece of paper? Maybe it was someone's contact details?"

"Let's have a look."

They went through the contents of the pockets again, all neatly sealed in their plastic evidence bags, until they found the one they were looking for. "There's a tear," said Harry, pointing to the side. "It's neatly done, so you almost can't tell."

Leo sat back. "But does it actually help us at all?"

Harry put it under the microscope. "We missed something. Might not help us, though."

"What is it?"

"The letter 'C'. It says C. Greenfield."


	14. Something Missing

**A/N: Yes, you're getting two chapters at once - I'm feeling generous! :) Please R&R!**

"_The letter 'C'. It says C. Greenfield."_

Leo let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding.

"We assumed this piece of paper referred to him," continued Harry, scrutinising the piece of paper in the vain hope of finding something else. "But what if C. Greenfield is someone else? The daughter, perhaps. Or Nikki's attacker."

"They might be the same person," mused Leo, frowning. "Were there any traces of DNA on any of the items of clothing?"

"None that matched anything on the database," replied Harry. "Probably all his, not the killer's"

"Nobody's that good," said Leo. "They can't have got rid of every scrap of evidence that would point us to them. There has to be something we're missing. Beyond that extra letter, I mean."

"We don't have the murder weapon," Harry pointed out. "If we just had that, then maybe… maybe we could pinpoint the killer."

Leo sat lost in thought for a moment. "She said her attacker was female, didn't she?"

"She said she thought the voice sounded like a woman's, yes. And as Matthias Groenveld was already dead, that counts him out of the reckoning, high-pitched voice notwithstanding. It can't have been him who attacked Nikki."

"Hardly," said Leo dryly.

Harry pondered. "What was the motive for the attack on Nikki? Someone thought she'd found something out, wanted to silence her. Yes?"

"That's the most likely explanation, yes."

"She said she'd wanted to tell me something about the daughter – the one her dad didn't know about. She'd figured out that Greenfield and Groenveld were the same name, and she'd figured out that this man was possibly her uncle, Matthias Groenveld. She asked her father about him, but didn't say why. I wonder… does she know who C. Greenfield is?"

"Ask her tomorrow."

"I will," he said, thoughtfully. "But the record – Matthias Groenveld's record going missing. Why? What could they hope from that?"

"Muddy the waters? Delay the inevitable? Give them time to get away?"

Harry sat back. "There something that doesn't add up, Leo. I'm just not sure what it is."

Leo rested his hand gently on Harry's shoulder. "You'll find it," he said confidently. "I know you will."

Harry rubbed his tired eyes. "I hope you're right."


	15. In the Blood

**A/N: Yes, I've been reading a book about hormone levels and the effects they have on the human body etc. No, it wasn't dull at all, actually - it was fascinating...**

_Leo rested his hand gently on Harry's shoulder. "You'll find it," he said confidently. "I know you will."_

_Harry rubbed his tired eyes. "I hope you're right."_

Harry took Viktor Alexander to identify the body the next afternoon. After all the formalities were concluded, the older man asked nervously, "how is she? Have you seen her today?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, I've seen her. She's looking much brighter, and more and more memories come back every day."

"And… did she say if… she'd…"

"Her doctor said not yet, maybe next week," he said gently. "She's still a little fragile, and it might upset her, given that you parted on such bad terms last time you saw each other."

He nodded; he hadn't really expected anything else, however much he'd hoped for it. "Thank you for asking, anyway," he said gratefully. "For what it's worth… and it may not be much… I want to at least try to make it up to her. When I heard about what happened I… I suppose I'd never thought about her actually dying, you don't, do you? You always think you'll die first. It… it was a shock to the system. Oh, I know you say she's doing well, and everything, but…" his eyes closed briefly. "I could have lost her. It brought it all home to me, what I've done to her, what I _keep_ doing to her. I'm a selfish man, I always was, but I want to try to be a better father to her, if I can. I'm not saying it'll be perfect, and that I won't make mistakes. I probably will. But I want to try." He looked at Harry, a pleading look in his eyes. "I can't lose her," he whispered.

Harry placed a comforting hand on his arm. "I know."

He sighed. "Is there anything, anything else I can do?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't think so. Unless you know a Christie Greenfield."

Viktor frowned. "Why is that name familiar…?" he said, almost to himself. "Greenfield… Greenfield…" he shook his head. "I recognise the name, I just can't quite place it."

Harry gave him the number of DI McFee, who was heading up the investigation. "If you think of anything, let the police know. They'd like a word," he said, showing him out.

He went back to the case notes that Nikki had typed up, poring over them. Nikki was eagle-eyed, and rarely made mistakes; was there something that she'd missed? Or was there something in the notes they'd overlooked?

An hour later, he'd found nothing that would help.

"No luck?" asked Leo sympathetically.

"Not really," shrugged Harry, pushing the case notes away wearily. "Take a look."

Leo skimmed through, then frowned. "That's odd."

"What is?"

Leo pointed to the results of the blood tests. "Look at the level of testosterone. It's way below 300."

"So?"

"Well, it's hardly conclusive, but having children would be difficult with that low a level of testosterone. Not impossible, necessarily, but it would certainly be difficult. He'd probably have to be trying pretty hard."

"Do you think the high-pitched voice might have something to do with that?"

Leo shrugged. "Could be – ask an endocrinologist. But the point is, Harry, Nikki was talking about his daughter."

"Testosterone levels might have been affected after he'd had a daughter," he said.

"Well, yes, that's true. But doesn't it strike you as being odd?"

"Hmm." He frowned. "It might have no bearing on the case at all, but it's certainly something worth looking into."

"Might be worth finding out if there's anything in his medical history to explain it."

Harry nodded. "Leo…" he said uncertainly.

"Mm?"

"This is just wild conjecture."

"Wild conjecture based at least loosely on the facts, I hope."

"Oh, yes. Of course. Based on the facts."

"Go on."

"Supposing this Greenfield is the daughter. She confronts him, he refuses to believe she's his daughter, and she murders him."

"A little far-fetched, don't you think?" asked Leo mildly.

"Stranger things have happened," he replied. "You don't think it's possible?"

"I didn't say I thought it was impossible, just unlikely," Leo pointed out. "Go home, Harry, and put your fevered imagination to bed."

Harry scowled, and decided to go home via the hospital. If he was lucky, he'd just catch the end of visiting time.


	16. Suspicion

**A/N: One of the moments you've all been waiting for... more to come soon :)**

_Harry scowled, and decided to go home via the hospital. If he was lucky, he'd just catch the end of visiting time._

Nikki grinned brightly at him. "Hello! I wasn't expecting to see you again today."

"Ah, I just can't keep away," he teased her. "How are you feeling?"

"All the better for seeing you," she said with a quick smile. "How's the case going?"

"Hm?"

"The Greenfield case. How's it going?"

"It's going," he said, wondering how much he should tell her.

"You asked me about a C. Greenfield this morning," she reminded him. "I couldn't remember anything. Then I remembered, this afternoon. I was listening to a song, and I remembered the last time I'd heard it. I'd met her for coffee – they were playing that song."

"Who is she?"

"Christie?" she looked thoughtful. "That's the million-dollar question," she said wryly. "She _said_ she was my cousin."

"Your Uncle Matt's daughter?"

"Yes. But there was something… there's something not right about that. I missed it at the time, and I can't think now what it was. I think it was what I was going to talk to you about when I called you."

"Why would you call me?"

"Maybe I wanted a second opinion? Or just to run ideas by you? Or just because I needed to talk to someone? I don't know, it could have been anything."

He nodded. "How did she get in contact with you?"

"I… don't remember," she said, puzzled.

He took a deep breath. "Did you identify the body?"

Her face went very still. "Uncle Matt. It was Uncle Matt, wasn't it?"

He held her hand. "Yes, it was."

She nodded. "Her name was on that slip of paper in his pocket."

"Yes."

"It was her. It was Christie." Her eyes flew to his. "I remember, now. I'd just told you on the phone, I knew something about Greenfield. It was Christie's voice I heard, I'm sure of it."

"Is she his daughter?"

"That's what it was!" she said triumphantly. "The low testosterone count. I'd wanted to check with dad if he knew of any children, or of any reason for the low count. I'd just called him to ask. She must have heard me talking to him, and assumed I'd figured out…" she frowned. "It doesn't mean she's not his daughter, just makes the chances slimmer."

Harry nodded. "Leo and I figured that out this afternoon. I wondered if she'd told him he was her father and he'd rejected him."

"And that she'd murdered him in a fit of rage?" He nodded. She shook her head. "It was done cleanly, quickly. I'd say it was planned."

He shrugged. "So she was hurt, went home and nursed a grudge?"

"Could be."

He smiled at her. "You really do remember everything now?" She nodded, a radiant smile on her face. "Remind me to thank Rosemary tomorrow," he said, reaching over to hug her gently.

She hugged him back, as if she never wanted to let him go. "Just as much thanks go to you, Harry."

He couldn't help but hold her just a little more tightly.


	17. Face of an Angel

**A/N: Another couple of short chapters. Thank you all so, so much for your kind reviews - and for your patience with the twists and turns and suspense of the story! :)**

_He couldn't help but hold her just a little more tightly._

"Caused by chemo," said Harry in disgust, throwing the file onto the desk. "There's no reason to suggest she's not his daughter. Or at least, that he doesn't have a daughter."

Leo sighed. "But at least Nikki's told the police about Christie Greenfield, so hopefully they'll haul her in for questioning." He answered the phone with annoyance. "Professor Dalton."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'll talk to you later, then," he muttered.

"Harry – they've found another body," said Leo shortly, putting the phone down.

He groaned. "Marvellous."

On arrival at the crime scene, they both stared at the body of the girl. Fair-haired and willowy, her hands had been removed and her face mutilated in the same way as Groenveld. The wounds were consistent with the same murder weapon as well; the time of death similar – only a couple of days later.

"This is beginning to look like a double homicide case," muttered Leo.

"Mm."

"Well, let's get on with it."

***

Leo looked at Harry; he was visibly shaking. "Harry? What is it?"

Face white, he looked up from the facial reconstruction of the girl he'd been working on. "I think you'd better look at this."

Leo went over, and looked over his shoulder; the sight nearly made him physically sick. "Dear God," he muttered, his hand to his mouth. He took a deep breath. "You saw her alive and well this morning, Harry. You _know_ it's not Nikki."

"I know. I know, but… it could be her twin. I just…"

Leo put a hand on his shoulder. "I know. But it's not Nikki, however alike they are. Go and take a walk outside, Harry, get some fresh air. Have a coffee. Take some time out to calm down a bit, okay?"

Harry nodded, still shaken.

"If you want, pop into the hospital to make sure Nikki's okay," he added kindly. "You won't rest until you've reassured yourself, I know you."

Harry didn't need to be told twice, and bolted for the door.

Leo never told him that he'd had to go and be sick after he'd left.


	18. Confusion

**A/N: it's a long time since I studied genetics, and I only did a small amount, so I hope this all adds up!**

_Leo never told him that he'd had to go and be sick after he'd left._

Nikki looked up with surprise from her book. "You really can't keep away, can you?" she teased, as Harry approached. Seeing the look in his eyes, she frowned. "Harry? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he lied. "Just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine," she said, mystified. "Does Leo know you're here?"

"Yes. Yes, he does." He swallowed. "Nikki… Christie Greenfield – what does she look like?"

Nikki shrugged. "Average height, dark hair and eyes – Hispanic looking, I suppose."

"Nothing like your uncle, then?"

"No, not really."

"You didn't think that was odd? That she looked nothing like him?"

She shrugged. "I assumed she took after her mum, like I do."

"But if your mum's genes were stronger than your dad's – because you don't look like him at all – wouldn't your uncle's genes be dominant as well? With him being your mum's twin?"

"Not necessarily – genes with brown hair are usually dominant, after all. Depends on what her mother looked like," she reasoned, "and on her genetic makeup."

"True."

She gave him a light, teasing smile. "What's this really about, Harry?"

"Nothing, it's nothing," he said swiftly. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay, that's all." He knew she didn't believe him, and could see the look on her face that said louder than words that she'd find out eventually. "I'll try to pop in on my way home," he added.

She gave him a concerned look. "Okay."

He squeezed her hand. "Better go, Leo will wonder what I'm doing," he said with a tense smile. "See you later."

Back in the Lyell Centre, he headed straight for Leo's office. He was looking considerably less green than he had been when Harry had left earlier, and smiled as Harry went in. "How is she?"

"Bonny and bouncing and curious as a cat," said Harry, relieved. "Any movement on the second body?"

"One Christie Greenfield," said Leo smugly. "Done for possession of an illegal substance a couple of years back. Small quantity for personal use, she wasn't a regular user – just got unlucky, and got caught the first time she used it."

"_That's_ Christie Greenfield?" asked Harry incredulously.

"Mm. Why?"

"Firstly, because she was the main suspect in this case, remember? And she died only a few days after Groenveld, so she was definitely already dead at the time of Nikki's attack." Leo stopped looking smug. "And secondly, according to Nikki, the Christie Greenfield she knew was dark – nothing like Nikki at all."

Leo's face fell even further. "Which begs the question," he said quietly, "who's the Christie Greenfield that Nikki met?"


	19. Company

**A/N: another milestone reached in Nikki's recovery :)**

_Leo's face fell even further. "Which begs the question," he said quietly, "who's the Christie Greenfield that Nikki met?"_

Harry and Leo stared at each other. Two Christie Greenfields – just a coincidence, or was there something else going on here? "I'll let McFee know," said Leo finally. "Presumably we still have to assume that the person who attacked Nikki was a Christie Greenfield – just not the one brought in today." Harry nodded. "You said Rosemary was thinking Nikki was almost ready to be discharged?"

"Next couple of days," he confirmed. "She'll have to convalesce for a while, though."

Leo frowned. "The person who attacked her is still on the loose. I don't want a second attempt made on her. Whoever she is, this Christie Greenfield knows where Nikki lives; she's attacked her once, and she's our prime suspect for at least one, if not two murders."

"She can stay at mine," Harry said quickly.

"She probably won't appreciate the perceived molly-coddling," sighed Leo, "but I would prefer it if I knew she was somewhere safe. Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Of course I don't mind – I offered, didn't I?" replied Harry, a hint of humour returning to his demeanour.

"Are you going to see her this evening?"

"If there's time, yes."

"Would you mind if I came with you? I'd like to talk to her about this case, now she's feeling better, and remembers more."

"Of course. I'm sure she'll be glad to see you," he said. He glanced at his boss. "You're worried about her, aren't you?"

Leo sat back in his chair. "She's like a daughter to me. Of course I'm worried about her."

***

As Leo had surmised, Nikki didn't take particularly well to what she saw as a suggestion that she couldn't cope on her own, and said as much. However, Rosemary waded in. "I think Harry and Leo may be right," she said. "Until the police have caught up with Ms. Greenfield, there's no knowing what she might try. I think it would be wise to accept Harry's offer – I'm sure you'll be safe with him, and also, you may find it more comfortable not to be on your own, at least for a short time."

"Fine," she said, a little sulkily.

"In fact," she smiled, "I talked to Harry before we came in, and on condition that you stay with him, I'm happy to discharge you this evening. Don't do anything too energetic for a week or so – just gentle exercise, no training for a marathon. I think it would be sensible to steer clear of alcohol as well. Just for a couple more days," she laughed, seeing the pained look on Harry's face.

Truth be told, Nikki was secretly relieved – both to be escaping the hospital, and also that she didn't have to be on her own. She'd been dreading going back to her house, knowing that it would remind her of the attack, and she hadn't been looking forward to it at all; but she hadn't wanted Harry and Leo to know that. She slid into Harry's car with gratitude.

"Got everything?" he asked.

"Think so."

"Okay."

The drive home was uneventful, and Nikki flopped down on Harry's sofa with a groan. "I would kill for a glass of wine," she complained.

"Only a couple of days," he reminded her. "Friday night, we'll have a nice bottle of wine, I promise."

She gave him a reluctant smile. "Thanks."

"What, for promising you wine?"

"Yes, sure way to a girl's heart," she told him seriously. "At any rate, one who's been off alcohol for a while."

"Always knew you were a closet alcoholic," he teased.

"Aren't all alcoholics?" she rejoined, amused. He grinned, then glanced uneasily at the windows, before getting up to close the blinds. "Do you really think she'll come looking for me?" she asked, suddenly perturbed.

He shrugged. "Not about to take any chances." He sat down beside her on the sofa. Taking her hand in his, he ran his thumb thoughtfully over her knuckles. "When they first saw you in the hospital, the prognosis wasn't good," he said quietly. "I can't risk losing you again – you know I'd blame myself if anything happened to you…"

She gulped; the look on Harry's face was one of terrible pain and misery, and she twined her fingers with his. "I'm okay," she said softly. "And I've told everything I can to the police, so there's no point, now, is there? To get me out of the way?"

"Revenge?" He shook his head. "This Christie is a prime suspect in a double murder enquiry, for which at present there's no motive. There's no knowing what she might do."

"I'm safe here," she said quietly, looking up at him.

For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her, but the moment passed as he pulled her into a gentle hug.


	20. On the Trail

**A/N: the net tightens...**

_For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her, but the moment passed as he pulled her into a gentle hug._

"How's Nikki?" asked Leo the next morning. "Settled in?"

"Yes," Harry answered with a chuckle. "She promised she'd stay inside, and I left her snuggled up under a duvet on the sofa watching Sky. Who knew that Nikki Alexander liked watching crime dramas?" he mused.

Leo rolled his eyes. "Trust Nikki! Is she feeling okay, though?"

He nodded. "Yes, I think so. Anything new?" he asked, taking a swig of coffee.

"They've found the murder weapon, close to where Christie Greenfield's body was found."

"In the lake, by any chance?" asked Harry wryly.

"Actually, no – buried a few metres away. They're bringing it in."

"Do you want me to take it?"

Leo nodded. "Yes – I have to go to the coroner's office, and I don't want any more of a delay on this than necessary. Thanks, Harry."

"No problem."

***

Harry drummed his fingers impatiently on the desk, waiting to see if there would be a DNA match found for the third set of DNA found on the knife. The first two were Christie Greenfield and, more faintly, Matthias Groenveld. The third, he hoped and prayed, would be the killer.

He gave a sigh of relief as a message finally flashed up on the screen: 'Match Found'. "Yes!"

"Harry?" queried Leo, walking through the door. "What did you find?"

"Match found. Hell, I'm good!" he crowed. It was the first good news on this case, and he felt it was justified. "One Kirsty Green, confidence trickster, mostly notable for stealing identities."

Leo's smile bordered on feral. "I think we'd better let McFee know right away, don't you?"

Harry couldn't agree more.

***

Later that day, Leo and Harry were called to the viewing room at the police station, to watch the interview. McFee met them outside. "Nasty business, this," he said in his light Scottish brogue. "How's Dr. Alexander doing?"

"Much better," said Harry. "Has the suspect said anything yet?"

"No. She insisted on having her lawyer present."

"Figures," said Leo dryly. "I didn't think we'd get a straightforward confession."

McFee shook his head. "Not from someone as familiar to the police as she is. Never been up for murder before, though. Judging by some papers we found in her flat, though, this was supposed to be just another identity theft – "

"Detective Inspector? We're ready for you now."

He nodded at the pair of pathologists. "Well, best get in there. I thought, with your involvement in the case, you might want to be here."

"Nice bloke," commented Harry, as the door closed behind him.

"One of the better ones," agreed Leo. "Let's see what comes out of this interview."


	21. Discoveries

**A/N: Yes, you find out the whys and wherefores in this chapter... but there's another twist or two to come yet! It's not over until chapter 27 ;)**

"_One of the better ones," agreed Leo. "Let's see what comes out of this interview."_

"So…" said Nikki, looking from Leo to Harry and back again, as she sat upright on the sofa, "you're saying that this… Kirsty Green… was trying to con Uncle Matt into believing that she was his daughter, so that he'd make his will out to her?"

"Basically, yes," said Leo. "After taking on the persona of Christie Greenfield to make the story more believable. Ms. Green had a South African father, and so was aware that Greenfield and Groenveld were very similar names."

"Couldn't she just have changed her name? I mean, her own was pretty similar."

"Too easy to trace, if you happen to be suspicious. She needed to actually _be _that person, and that's why the real Christie Greenfield was murdered – though not until things had already started to go wrong. She murdered your Uncle, having thought that he'd named Christie Greenfield in his will as the beneficiary. He hadn't; he'd named his daughter as the beneficiary, and insisted on a DNA test. He was suspicious about the claim of her being his daughter, as well; and he had every cause to be."

"So she thought she'd stolen this girl's identity, would bump off the rich old guy and get the inheritance?"

"Yes, essentially."

"And Christie?"

Harry and Leo exchanged glances. Both had known that she would ask, and remembered their earlier conversation.

"_You know what the real tragedy of this is, Harry?"_

"_No, what?"_

"_Look at the DNA profiles of the two victims."_

"_Oh Christ."_

"_Do you want to tell her, or shall I?"_

Harry took her hands gently in his. "Kirsty needed her for the DNA test. Christie Greenfield _was_ Matthias Groenveld's daughter."

Nikki looked up at him bleakly. "She was my cousin?" she whispered.

He nodded. "I'm sorry, Niks."

"I had a cousin… all these years, I had a cousin, and I never knew."

"I don't think she did, either," said Leo softly. "Nor your uncle."

Nikki gave a sniff. "What – what was she like?"

"A lot like you," said Harry quietly. "Tall, blonde, willowy. I have the facial reconstruction if you want to see it."

She nodded. "I'd like that."

He pulled it slowly out of a folder, and passed it over to her. "Remember the day I came in to see you, half-way through the morning?" She nodded. "I'd just finished working on that."

She gave him a watery smile, looking up from the photo. "Must have given you quite a scare."

"It gave us both a scare," muttered Leo.

"It did – even though I knew it couldn't actually be you," he said softly.

"Why did she try to kill me, then? And why did Uncle Matt's record go missing?"

"The record, because of the low testosterone count – she panicked that Christie might not have been his daughter after all. And it's possible that she thought that, somehow, she might use your DNA," said Leo. "And, quite simply, you knew too much."

"There's something else," added Harry. "When your uncle re-wrote his will, he left everything to his daughter."

"Yes, you said."

"With the codicil that, if his daughter didn't survive him… his beneficiary was to be his niece, Nicola Alexander. So without DNA proving her to be the daughter, everything would have gone to you, anyway - and she needed you out of the way so that she could contest the will."

Nikki fainted.


	22. Meetings

**A/N: Nearly there - but because I'm kind, and I felt sorry for Nikki losing her cousin and her uncle, I just _had_ to make it up to her - in a couple of ways :)**

_"With the codicil that, if his daughter didn't survive him… his beneficiary was to be his niece, Nicola Alexander. So without DNA proving her to be the daughter, everything would have gone to you, anyway - and she needed you out of the way so that she could contest the will."_

_Nikki fainted._

Harry wrapped an arm round Nikki as she looked at the two bodies – so closely related, but that had never known each other in life. "Thank you," she said quietly, turning away.

"You okay?"

"I just wish I'd known her," she sniffed. "I don't care about the inheritance – after death duties there won't actually be that much, I don't think – apart from the house – but… I had a cousin…"

Leo looked round the door; there was both worry and excitement in his eyes. "Nikki, can you come into my office for a moment? Harry, come as well if you want."

They exchanged glances, and followed him to his office, and both stopped dead in their tracks when a young woman, pale-faced but calm, stood up. "This is Miss Greenfield's next of kin," said Leo quietly. "Their mother sadly died last year."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Harry immediately. _Wait…_

"You're… Christie's sister?" asked Nikki tentatively.

She nodded. "Yes, I'm Anna, her twin. We never looked much alike, though."

Harry looked at Nikki, concerned at what her reaction might be, but she smiled. "Nikki Alexander."

Anna swallowed. "I thought you must be." She took a tentative step towards her, then stopped. "I… I've been told about the will, I…" She stopped. "I came here just to – to say goodbye to Christie," she said. "Neither of us tried to find our father, though mum told us all about him, and even gave us a name like his; we were happy enough without him. I know that means…" she shook her head, unable to go on. "May I see Christie first?"

Nikki held out her hand immediately. "Come with me."

"Go with them, but be discreet," murmured Leo, and Harry nodded and followed them.

When he went back into the room, it was to see the two women standing by Christie's body. Nikki's arm was protectively round Anna's waist, much as his had been round her waist earlier. He busied himself with some papers in the corner, trying to be unobtrusive.

"I never knew I had a cousin," said Anna quietly.

"Neither did I," replied Nikki. "Let alone two. I'd have moved heaven and earth to find you, if I'd known. I don't think Uncle Matt had any idea he had daughters, either." She gave the other girl a hug. "I'm sure he would have tried to find you, too."

Anna nodded. "It means the inheritance comes to me, though," she said bleakly, suddenly looking up at Nikki. "I never wanted this, you know."

"I know. Neither did I."

Anna looked at her, a little insecure. "I'd like… I'd like to split it equally between us," she said in a rush. "It seems fairer that way."

Nikki smiled. "You're his daughter, though. The money's yours. You don't have to do this."

"I want to." There was a mutinous air to it, and Harry smiled to himself; Anna, though in many ways very different to Nikki, was in others very similar.

Nikki sighed. "On one condition."

"What's that?"

Nikki swallowed. "I found out that Christie was my cousin too late to get to know her. But…" she took a deep breath. "I still have you." She paused. "I know this isn't how you'd want to get to know a family member, but I'd like to stay in contact."

Anna gave her a watery smile. "I'd like that." She turned away from the body with a slight shudder. "Would you… would you come to her funeral?"

Nikki nodded. "Of course." She looked up as Harry began to slink towards the door to give them some privacy. "This is Dr. Cunningham, by the way. Harry took over working on this case while I was in hospital."

Anna gave him a grateful smile. "Then I should thank you for your help in finding Christie's killer."

He gave a tight smile. "That's my job."

Anna nodded. "But it means a lot to me." She turned back to Nikki. "Do you have an email address, so I can let you know about the funeral?"

Nikki scribbled it down on a piece of paper. "There. I've given you my mobile number as well, and my land-line. Use the mobile for the moment, though – I'm staying at Harry's at the moment."

"Oh – are you…?"

"Sadly not," said Harry. "I'm looking after Nikki while she convalesces – she's only in today because she insisted she wanted to see the bodies."

Anna nodded. "Take care of her, then," she said quietly. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to my cousin, as well as my sister." She gave Nikki a wan smile, and headed for the door, tucking the slip of paper into her purse.


	23. The Truth Will Out

**A/N: Well, you know what they say - you can't hide it forever (not when you're living under the same roof, anyway). **

_Anna nodded. "Take care of her, then," she said quietly. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to my cousin, as well as my sister." She gave Nikki a wan smile, and headed for the door, tucking the slip of paper into her purse._

"As promised, Dr. Alexander, one perfectly chilled bottle of, if I may say so, very well-chosen Pinot Grigio," said Harry, presenting it to her with a flourish.

She giggled, and pushed her glass towards him. "Wonderful."

"I know I am," he replied smugly, grinning as she rolled her eyes.

She took a sip of wine – ice-cold. "Perfect."

"Aren't you flush with the compliments tonight?" he teased, dishing out their takeaway.

"Ah, but I don't mean them," she smiled, taking another sip of wine.

"You wound me," he said, looking plaintively at her. At her infectious giggle, however, he couldn't help but smile. He took hold of her hand, briefly twining his fingers with hers. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Believe me, so am I," she said with feeling. She was a little surprised that he pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly, and hugged him back. She breathed in the scent of him, warm and comforting, woody and masculine. _I wish I could stay here forever_, she thought with a sigh. It wasn't a thought that she found particularly startling; she wasn't as blind to her feelings for Harry as she made out. She just couldn't be sure what his feelings were for her. He was fond of her, certainly; loved her, even, in his way. But _in_ love with her? She couldn't say for sure. When Anna had assumed they were together, he'd replied saying 'sadly not' – but was that just a way of saying they weren't, without offending her, or did he actually mean it?

"Come on," he said finally. "Dinner's getting cold."

They ate in relative silence, though it wasn't uncomfortable. Without discussion, both took their glasses over to the sofa at the end of the meal, and sat curled up quietly together. "Do you think Anna will keep in touch?" he asked finally.

"I hope so. She wants me to go to the funeral, so at least she'll be in contact with me for that."

Harry nodded. "Do you want me to come with you? To the funeral?"

She picked a bit of fluff absent-mindedly off her top. "I don't know. If it was just for my sake, then yes, but…"

"You don't know what Anna wants?" he finished for her.

"Mm."

"Well, see what she says when she contacts you."

She snuggled up to Harry, head resting on his shoulder. "Thanks for being there. Today, especially."

He wrapped an arm round her. "You're welcome. You know that."

"I know. Doesn't hurt to say it, though."

He dropped a swift kiss on the top of her head. "I'll always be there for you."

She swallowed hard, tears escaping her finally. "Sorry, I…"

"Sh," he soothed. "It's okay." He stroked her hair gently until the sobs subsided. "Better?" She nodded, and took the tissue he handed her from the box on the table. "Your mascara's run," he said with a smile. "There are black smudges alllll around your eyes. You look just like a panda. But not quite as cute and cuddly."

By this time she was laughing. "I don't eat bamboo," she pointed out.

"Shame, I'd just laid in a forestful for you," he dead-panned.

She giggled, and nestled closer to him, winding her fingers with his again. "Thanks."

"See? Knew you liked bamboo really, you _are_ a panda," he grinned. She hit him with a cushion. "Hey! Rosemary said not to do anything too energetic!" he complained laughingly, trying to grab the cushion away from her.

"Oh, but this is _gentle_," she grinned. "By my standards, anyway."

"Dread to think what energetic looks like, then," he teased, making another grab at the cushion as she biffed him round the head with it. He caught hold of it and gave a sharp tug; but Nikki refused to let go. "Ow!" he said, as she fell on top of him.

"Your fault," she laughed breathlessly. "Shouldn't have tried to grab the cushion."

"My cushion," he reminded her. "You were hitting me with it."

"You were making fun of me!" She pulled against the cushion again, but he held tightly onto it. Finally, he managed to pull it out of her grasp, and held it at arm's length.

Nikki wriggled to try to reach it, and gasped, feeling Harry's reaction. Glancing up at him, she realised from the rabbit-caught-in-headlights look that he knew she'd noticed – especially when he dropped his arm and allowed her to take the cushion from him. She swallowed, and deliberately dropped the cushion onto the floor, bringing the hand instead to the side of his face, as she reached up, very tentatively, to kiss him. She relaxed immediately she felt his arms go round her, felt him responding to the kiss, kissing her back gently but firmly.

Harry shifted so that Nikki was lying beside him, reaching down for the cushion, and placing it under her head without breaking the kiss. He moaned lightly as she ran one hand through his hair. "Have you _any_ idea how long I've wanted this?"

Breathing shallow, she smiled at him. "Six years?" she guessed, kissing him again.

"Something like that."

"Me too," she said, between kisses.

"Better late than never," he muttered, rolling slightly so she was under him, and bent his head to kiss her again.

"Mmm…" was her only reply as his hand snaked up her side.


	24. How do ya like your eggs in the morning?

**A/N: Just a short interlude on the way to (hopefully) happier times :) The song is from (I think) the Tropicana advert (correct me if I'm wrong); it's 'How do ya like your eggs in the morning' by Dean Martin with Helen O'Connell. Enjoy, and, as ever, I own nothing, and love reviews.**

"_Mmm…" was her only reply as his hand snaked up her side._

Nikki woke with a smile, as warm, gentle lips pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Morning."

Harry handed her a cup of coffee. "Morning."

She sat up, smile softening a little as she remembered the previous night. She'd happily have jumped into bed with Harry, but he'd simply smiled and pointed out that, for a start, there was no rush, and besides which, she wasn't meant to be doing anything too energetic, and he had a suspicion that what she had in mind would probably be _very _energetic. She reflected that he was probably right.

She hadn't really wanted to spend the night alone, but they both knew that being in the same bed was unlikely to give either of them much sleep, so she'd finally – after several goodnight kisses – gone to the spare room. "Is that bacon I smell?"

"It is. How do you like your eggs?"

She grinned, thinking of an old song. "I like mine with a kiss."

He chuckled. "You watch too much TV. Get up, lazybones, and you can have your kiss. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."

She wrapped her bathrobe round her, and followed him out of the room, propping herself up against the kitchen counter, admiring him as he fried the eggs. He plated up the breakfasts, and placed them on the table, ushering her to sit down. He leaned across and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. "Since you asked so nicely," he said playfully.

She grinned, bare toes gently running up his calf. "Looks lovely."

His breath hitched in his throat. "Good. Right…" he stuttered, body reacting to the gentle caress. "Umm… orange juice?"

She stopped teasing him, and shook her head. "No, thanks." She reached out and took his hand. "I promise I'll be good."

"You, good?" he questioned, one eyebrow arched.

She giggled. "Well, I can try. I just have this insane love of seeing you all flustered."

"Not half as much as I love seeing _you _flustered," he countered, a lascivious look on his face. His toes drifted gently up her calf, mimicking her own earlier gesture, but rather than stopping, he continued tracing along her thigh until his big toe was rubbing against her through the material of her pyjamas – material which, to his satisfaction, he noticed was getting decidedly damp. He looked across at her with an innocent smile, and started circling gently, watching as her as she flushed, her eyes dilating. "Eat up," he said smugly. "Don't you like it?"

"Oh, I… like it," she gasped, trembling hands reaching for knife and fork, assuming he'd stop. He didn't. "Harry, I…"

"Mm?" He dipped his toe down to thrust gently against her entrance, taking another unconcerned mouthful of breakfast as her head fell back with a moan.

"Oh… God…"

He lowered his leg, and gave her a gentle smile. "Eat up, it's going cold."

She glared at him – which would have been scarier if she wasn't still quite obviously flushed with arousal. "That's not fair," she said, with a frustrated whimper.

He grinned. "Life's not fair. If you're good, I'll make it up to you later."

She scowled, but there was curious interest behind it. "What does being good involve?"

"Eating that breakfast I cooked for you, for starters."

She rolled her eyes, and started eating. "And what's my reward?"

His toes drifted gently over hers for an instant. "Wait and see."

She wolfed her breakfast down without a second thought.


	25. Difficult Times

**A/N: A huge thank you to everyone reading my fics and reviewing :)**

_She wolfed her breakfast down without a second thought._

Nikki closed her eyes as Harry's hands, warm and gentle, started massaging her shoulders. "You're not working, are you?" he teased. "You're still meant to be off work."

"Just checking my emails," she smiled, relaxing. "Anna's emailed."

"Oh?"

"Funeral's on Friday. She wants all three of us there." She took a deep breath. "And my dad as well."

Harry nodded. "Your dad wanted to see you when you were in hospital," he said. "Rosemary didn't think it was a good idea at that stage. How do you feel about seeing him again?"

She shrugged. "Had to happen sooner or later."

He kissed the top of her head. "I'll be there with you," he comforted.

She turned round, wrapping her arms round his waist, face resting against his stomach. "You're amazing."

He chuckled, playing with her hair. "I know." He hesitated. "I've been thinking..."

She grinned up at him. "Don't overdo it!"

He rolled his eyes. "How would you feel about… moving in? Permanently, I mean." When she didn't reply immediately, he added, "I know it may seem a bit soon, but I… well, the offer's there, if…"

She smiled. "I'll think about it. Like you said, there's no rush – is there?"

He shook his head. "No. But I want this to last."

She stood up, moving into his arms, and kissed him lightly on the lips. "So do I. But equally…"

"Mm?"

"I'm rather enjoying things the way they are," she confessed. "It would… be nice to keep things like this for a while."

He chuckled. "Okay."

"You don't mind?"

"Not at all." He held her quietly for a while, content just to have her in his arms. "Are we going to tell people?"

"Do you want to?"

"Yes," he said, without hesitation. "I want to tell the world."

She giggled, snuggling closer to him. "I do believe you're a closet romantic."

He grinned. "Maybe I am."

She smiled. "Can we just tell Leo and Janet for the moment?"

"Of course."

***

Nikki sat between Leo and Harry at the funeral – her uncle and cousin both being buried together – and was grateful that it meant she didn't have to sit next to her father. She knew she'd have to talk to him at some point, but at least she could get through the service without having to worry about that.

At the end of the service, Anna came to find her, dry-eyed and composed. "Nikki – would you – and your colleagues, of course – like to come round to the hall for a drink and something to eat? Most people aren't staying, so there won't be too much of a crush, or anything."

Nikki glanced at Leo, who nodded, as Harry gave her hand a squeeze. "Of course we'll come," she replied gently.

They followed her round to the hall, and immediately she was joined by a tall, blond man. "This is James, my fiancé," she said. "James, my cousin Nikki, and her colleagues Leo and Harry, who helped find Christie's…" her lip trembled, and she gasped in a breath. "I'm sorry…"

She was in his arms in a heartbeat. "It's okay to cry, sweetie," he murmured, rubbing her back. "It's okay, now… shh…"

Nikki blinked away her own tears, biting her lip; the relationship Anna had with James was so clearly like hers with Harry. She was glad her cousin had found someone who'd look after her.

Tucking Anna awkwardly against him, James held out his hand. "Pleased to meet you, Nikki. Anna's talked a lot about you." He gave her hand a firm shake, then turned to Harry and Leo. "And I want to thank you both as well. It's been a difficult time, but at least we've got some closure." He swallowed; clearly he'd been fond of Christie as well. "But some good's come out of it; at least Anna's found her cousin."

"A cousin can't take the place of a sister, especially a twin," said Nikki sadly.

A hand wrapped around hers, and to her surprise, Nikki realised it was Anna's. "No," she sniffed. "You can't take Christie's place, but you're still _you_, and I'm glad that we've found each other."

Nikki nodded, a lump in her throat, and squeezed the hand in hers. "Me too."


	26. Happy Families

**A/N: last-but-one chapter :)**

_Nikki nodded, a lump in her throat, and squeezed the hand in hers. "Me too."_

A small cough from Harry alerted them to the presence of another person, and Nikki sighed. Through gritted teeth, she said, "Anna, James, this is my father, Viktor."

His eyes were red and puffy; he hadn't taken his best friend's death well. He shook hands with the couple. "I'm sorry you never knew him," he said quietly. "He was a lovely man, and a loyal friend. I'm sure if he'd known he had daughters, he would have made sure to have done the best he could for them, and been there for them." He took a deep breath, glancing sidelong at Nikki. "I can't pretend to have been a good father," he said, "as I'm sure Nikki would tell you. But I'm going to try to be a better father, and I'll try to be a good uncle."

Anna gave a wan smile. "Thank you, Mr. Alexander. That's very kind."

"Viktor," he said quietly. "My name's Viktor. Mr. Alexander's far too formal for family."

Anna nodded. "Thank you," she said again. He withdrew a little way, sending occasional glances in Nikki's direction; she did her best to ignore them. "Nikki, are you free some time next week?" asked Anna. "There's something I'd like to talk to you about, but this doesn't seem the time or place."

Nikki nodded. "I have my final check-up on Wednesday morning, so how about meeting for lunch afterwards?"

Anna smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

***

Nikki slumped down on Harry's sofa. "I hate funerals," she said with her eyes closed. "Thanks for coming with me."

"I'd say it's a pleasure, if that didn't sound so twisted," he replied, handing her a glass of merlot.

She opened one eye, and smiled. "Thanks for staying while I talked to dad, too."

"Not a problem. You two okay now?"

She shrugged. "We'll see."

"He was genuinely upset when he heard what happened to you," Harry said. "He was ready to rip apart the world to find out who'd done this to you, devastated to think you might have been killed. It really shook him up, Niks – he realises what he's been like to you, and he does want to make amends."

"Oh, sure," she said moodily. "I just wonder how long it'll last this time."

Harry smiled, understanding. "Give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe this is the wake-up call he needed?"

She wasn't convinced. "Maybe."

***

Nikki was relieved that Rosemary was happy for her to go back to work – there were only so many re-runs of _Campion_ and _Bergerac_ she could face watching. She smiled at the doctor. "I have some other news," she said, smiling.

"Oh? Other than about you and Harry?" she teased. "Leo told me about the two of you; I wondered when I saw you together how long it would be before something happened." She gave her a maternal smile. "He's a lovely guy, Nikki. He could barely be persuaded to leave your side, the first few days you were in here."

Nikki smiled, flushing slightly. "Well, yes, there was that. But also – Christie, the girl who was murdered – she was my cousin." Rosemary nodded; that much she'd heard. "I'm meeting her twin sister, Anna, for lunch," she said.

"Oh, how wonderful!" exclaimed the doctor. "It's sad that you met the way you did, through Christie's death, but how lovely that you've found your cousin."

Nikki nodded. "Anyway – thank you for everything," she said, giving the surprised doctor a hug on her way out.

She smiled as she saw Anna waiting outside the coffee shop they'd decided on for lunch. "How are you feeling?"

Anna grimaced. "A bit wobbly. It takes time, I guess. How about you?"

"The doctor says I'm fit to go back to work, so I'll be in tomorrow."

"Oh, that's good!" she said, as they took a table by the window. "It must be a bit of a relief."

Nikki nodded. "It is, a huge relief."

Anna gave her a sly smile. "How's Harry?" Nikki had told her about the relationship, and she'd been delighted that her cousin had found someone who clearly cared for her as Harry did – the way James cared for her.

Nikki giggled. "He's fine. Wonderful. Adorable. Perfect."

"Worth waiting six years for?"

"Definitely. How's James?"

"Oh, fine. You know, wonderful, adorable, perfect," she grinned.

They laughed, and both felt as if they'd known the other all their lives. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" asked Nikki after they'd ordered lunch.

"Well, James and I are due to be married in three months," she said. "Obviously, Christie was going to be my bridesmaid, but now…" she sighed. "I wondered if you would…?"

Nikki laid her hand over Anna's. "I'd be honoured," she said softly. "So long as… I know I look a lot like her; that won't upset you?"

Anna shook her head. "If anything," she said with a sad smile, "it makes it a little easier to bear. I've got a living reminder of how beautiful she was, not the maimed body I saw. I don't know, maybe that sounds weird…"

Nikki shook her head. "No," she said quietly. "It sounds lovely."

Anna swallowed, and nodded. "Thank you. It really does mean a lot. We hadn't done anything about the dress, so maybe a little nearer the time, we can go and choose something together."

Nikki smiled at her as the waiter brought their food. "Absolutely."


	27. Topsy Turvy

**A/N: This is it, folks; the end of the line for this story, after 27 chapters! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing; this was the first real 'crime' fic I'd written, and it was great to have so much support for what I was doing. There may be the occasional spin-off fic from this if I have the time and inclination. But, for now... this is it. Thank you all, once again, for reading. I hope you've enjoyed it!**

_Nikki smiled at her as the waiter brought their food. "Absolutely."_

"Nikki!" exclaimed Leo, as she dropped her keys on the desk, squeaking in surprise as he hugged her. "It's good to have you back."

"It's good to _be_ back," she said, with feeling. "Harry's gone to get coffees, he'll be up in a sec."

"Still staying at his?" he enquired archly.

She looked up, a little nervously. "Yes. I… much as I hate to admit it, being attacked on my front doorstep, more or less, I… we went back at the weekend, to pick up some bits and pieces, and I… well, very nearly had a panic attack."

Leo patted her on the shoulder. "It's understandable, Nikki. Home is supposed to be the place you feel safe."

She nodded, realising that the only place she felt safe was anywhere that Harry was. "Harry suggested I stay with him while I figure out what to do, but I think I'm going to give the landlord notice and find somewhere else."

"Well, if Harry's happy to let you stay, why not do that, and take your time to make a final decision on it? There's no rush, after all."

Nikki smiled. "True. I think… no, I know… he'd like me to move in permanently."

"But…?"

She shrugged. "But nothing. Eventually, I want that too. I just didn't really expect to move in first, you know? Before being in a relationship, I mean."

Leo laughed. "Life's full of unexpected surprises, Nikki, not all of them bad."

"Oh, I know. And a part of me is thinking, stay for now, see how it goes, and maybe just… never move out. I've also thought that… maybe, once probate's gone through on Uncle Matt's will, and Anna and I have sorted everything out, sold the house and so on, we could use the money on a deposit, and buy somewhere…" she looked at Leo's face. "Is that thinking too far ahead?" she asked worriedly.

"Not for you two," he said dryly. "You always were a topsy-turvy pair. Six years it took you to get together, and now after a couple of weeks you're talking about living together and settling down. Only you two could pull it off."

She giggled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Just as well," he murmured. As Harry came in, a coffee in each hand, he smiled. "Thought you'd both like to know, the Greenfield case goes to court next month. I don't think there's much her lawyers can do – there's no suggestion of mental illness, and the evidence against her is pretty damning. Harry, you'll be needed to give evidence in court; and Nikki, I'm assuming you'd want to stay there for the full trial as well, rather than just giving evidence on the attack?" They nodded. "Harry, stay with Nikki once you've finished giving evidence," he said quietly, though Nikki heard and rolled her eyes, secretly relieved that he'd be there.

"Of course."

***

Nikki had given evidence as an expert witness any number of times, but this was different. In previous cases when she'd been kidnapped or attacked (she suddenly realised how often that had happened, and resolved that this really _would _be the last time), she'd normally just given a statement, and not been called to give evidence, usually because she was still too shaken-up to do it. Now, though, she had the support, not only of Leo and Harry as colleagues, but Harry as her boyfriend (though it seemed strange to think of him as a 'boy'friend; _partner, perhaps?_ she mused). It made all the difference.

It was also the first time she'd had her family around her for the end of a case like this. Her father, looking as though he'd like to take Kirsty Green out and batter her to death with one of his golf clubs, was sitting in the public gallery as she gave evidence, and she could see on his face a mixture of murderous glare at the young woman who'd attacked her, and killed her uncle, and surprised, fatherly pride at his daughter's cool, clipped, efficient tone, as she answered questions. It unnerved her a little, as the realisation hit her that he really _did _love her. She knew it would be a long time before she truly accepted that; a longer time before she could trust him, if she ever could, after all that had happened. But at least he was here, supporting her, and she'd been strangely touched that he'd sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers both to her and to Anna, that morning, as the trial began. Though neither of them knew it at the time, an identical one lay on Christie's grave.

It helped, too, to have Harry there; he had given his evidence already, and was sitting near her father in the public gallery. Next to him was Anna, tightly holding on to James's hand. For the first time in years, she felt truly part of a family again. She glanced briefly at her cousin, just to check she was okay; and though she was pale, she was sitting up straight and dignified. _A true Groenveld, _thought Nikki wryly.

She glanced at Harry as she left the stand, and although he looked slightly strained, re-living through her words all he'd gone through as she'd lain in a coma, he gave her a comforting smile that lifted her heart. She joined them in the public gallery as soon as she was able, listening to the evidence her attacker gave, the arguments of the defence team. She could sense her father, sitting on the other side of her from Harry, balling his hands into fists in anger, and, without looking at him, laid a gentle hand on his arm. Surprised, he slowly uncurled his fingers, and relaxed.

As they closed for the day, Viktor turned to her. "Niks... I can't be at the trial tomorrow - I wish I could, but I... I have an appointment I can't miss. I'm talking to my bank manager, about consolidating my debts, trying to... to neaten things up, and... well, I can't be there tomorrow. If... if they reach a verdict, will you...?"

She nodded, a little curtly, but was glad that her father finally seemed to be taking control of his life. "I'll call and let you know."

He gave her a tentative hug, but knew better than to push things. "I was really proud of you today," he told her quietly, as he left.

She didn't really understand the glow of gratification that swept through her, until she realised it was the first time he'd ever said it.

***

Eventually, at the end of the next day, the jury filed back into court with their verdict. Nikki half wished her father could have been there to hear it; Uncle Matt had been his best friend, after all, as well as his brother-in-law, and she knew how much it had shaken him to lose him. She was dimly aware that he felt strongly about her own narrow escape; but she understood that it was important for him to keep his appointment at the bank and get his life back on track. She glanced nervously at Anna, who clutched Nikki's hand, gradually relaxing as the jury foreman stood to give the verdict.

"Do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty of the murders of Matthias Groenveld and Christie Greenfield, and the attempted murder of Nicola Alexander?" asked the judge.

"Guilty on all counts, your honour."

Both girls broke down in tears, the men either side of them swallowing with relief.

"Justice," murmured James soothingly to Anna, as Harry squeezed Nikki's hand. "She's got justice. And your father, too." They hugged each other, relieved that it was all, finally, over.

Harry pulled Nikki close. "You're safe, now," he murmured, holding her tightly. "And I'm never letting you go."

She hugged him back, just as tightly, and began to smile softly at the images that promise created in her mind, seeing glimpses of a beautiful future dancing through her mind. She knew that this was the day the rest of their lives started.


End file.
